Chapter 10: Married Life - Transformations

“Rav, can you help me?” Nessa, a third cousin and childhood friend, was fiddling nervously with the balls of coarse lard soap on the counter. If the problem had been medical, she would not have spoken about it in the open.

“What’s wrong?” Raviathan asked. Isa, nibbling her lower lip, looked between the two of them. The newest addition to the alienage had been settling into her life in the orphanage over the last two weeks.

“My parents can’t pay the new rent fees. With the trouble in the south, the King has called for workers. My parents both signed up. Rav, they want me to go with them.”

What was wrong with that? She was only a year and a half his junior. Jobs weren’t expected of children, but they weren’t all that unusual. “It sounds like an adventure. I don’t see what you’re worried about.”

Nessa shifted her weight from side to side almost dropping the lemon balm scented soap in her agitation. “They’ll be stationed at Ostagar with the military. I ... I don’t want to be around a bunch of shems who ... who haven’t seen a woman in months.”

“Mm,” Raviathan murmured and bit his lips. From his visits to the Huntsman, he knew what it felt like to be prey, unarmed and outnumbered. Nessa had even fewer resources than he did. All it would take was one unprotected moment away from her busy parents, but even their presence might not be enough to protect from shems bent on using her. “Where’s your father?”

“Packing up. What are you going to do?”

“Just talk. Isa, you’re in charge until Alarith or I return.”

“Yes ser.” She had been eyeing Nessa curiously during the exchange, her experience of elves her age consisting of only a few weeks of shy questions. “You’ve ... have you been outside the alienage much?”

Nessa looked at the girl distractedly. “Never.”

Raviathan left the two with their awkward conversation. Isa was understandably strange to the other children, but he hoped time would ease that. Even among older children who were learning the harsher realities of their life, her cynicism had too much bite. If she was looking for a marriage in a few years, that bitterness would need to be softened up. As it was, Raviathan was impressed with her resilience and independence.

What worried him now was Claye. The man was stubborn with a stern glower that had been turned more than once in Raviathan’s direction during times of too exuberant play. Had it been two months ago, Raviathan wasn’t sure he would have tried, but over the last month he had slowly getting use to his new position in the community. All the adults had been treating him differently. His opinions now carried weight on more than just medicine. To the children, he was still a playmate and storyteller, or occasionally someone to help solve their problems, as with Nessa, but for the first time the adults were accepting him as one of their own.

A quiet redhead of middle years was packing a small cart in front of the apartments Nessa used to live in. Other elves were doing the same, a young childless couple and another with children already married. “Hey Beth,” Raviathan said to the redhead. “I heard you’re moving.”

“Oh. Hello Rav,” she said though her focus was on wrapping her dishes. Nessa took after her mother in that both women tended towards quiet, almost subservient demeanors. “I sent Nessa to the store for some soap and a needle. Did you see her?”

“Yeah.”

She looked up at him then. “Not moving. Most of our things will stay with my sister. You’ve heard about the King’s army?” He nodded. Beth went back to her packing then, her eyes averted. Raviathan understood then she was ashamed that everyone would know they couldn’t afford their home anymore. Packing out in the open was only compounding the hurt. Claye would most certainly be pricklier. If he was going to persuade the elder elf, he’d have to find a way that would save Claye’s wounded pride.

“Claye’s upstairs?”

“I wouldn’t recommend talking to him right now,” Beth murmured.

Raviathan squeezed her shoulder in silent support then went to what had been Nessa’s home. Claye was rolling up their sleeping pallets in the nearly bare room. Only the large furniture remained that couldn’t be taken out without dismantling it first. “Hey Claye.”

The old man didn’t look up. His white hair and their flashing eyes were the brightest things in the deserted room. “Is there something you needed?” he asked with an added bite to his voice.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?” Claye paused to glance at him, the lines around his mouth deep in a sneer. “I’m not exactly in a position to grant any favors.”

“It’s about Nessa.”

“My daughter is leaving with us today. Forget your favor.”

“I’m not speaking for myself,” Raviathan said. Claye paused again, listening though he didn’t look up. “I’ve come on my wife’s behalf. She would have come herself, but she’s still new to the alienage. You’ve seen her stand at Alarith’s? Well, she’s been getting a lot of orders, enough that she needs an assistant. I was thinking that since Nessa is family, she could apprentice under my wife.”

“Apprentice?” Claye turned to him then.

Raviathan thought about mentioning Nessa’s safety, but that would take away from his tactic of needing help for his wife. He’d save that if he needed to, but at this point one reason was stronger as a second would only be seen as having a cover for an ulterior motive. Right now, it was about assuaging Claye’s need to be a strong father. “It would mean that she would have to stay here, with us. I know it’s a burden on you, since she can’t go with you, but we’d take care of her. As is, we have an extra bed. In a few years, she’d have a good trade.”

The offer of apprenticeship alone was worth the lost companionship of a child. Nessa have a better chance at finding a good partner for marriage at a better dowry price as skills among elves was rare. Few elves would hesitate at such an offer. “I’m sorry to ask, but my wife really could use the help.”

Claye sat back on his heels to consider. Without a word, he left the room. Raviathan followed him at a respectful distance, and when he saw Nessa helping her mother, he gave her a surreptitious wink. “Daughter, I’ve arranged for you to stay here.” Beth and Nessa both looked up, Beth in complete surprise, Nessa trying not to let her relief show. “You’re going to live with your cousin and apprentice with Nesiara.”

“A-apprentice?” Now Nessa mirrored her mother.

“It will be good for you,” Claye said. “You’re going to help for the next few days while the soldiers ready for the march south. When we leave, you’ll come back here.”

“Y-yes father.”

Raviathan shook Claye’s hand to finalize the exchange. “Maker watch over you and safe journey.”

“Maker watch over us all,” Claye said as was the customary reply.

When he kissed Beth on the cheek in parting, she whispered, “Thank you.”

He and Nessa exchanged secretive smiles as he left.

Back at the shop Alarith was reviewing Isa’s bookkeeping. The deliveries for the day had already been made, and with two assistants, there was not much left for Raviathan to do. Gathering a few vegetables, Raviathan left for the day. He bought a squid from the fishmonger on the way home and found Nesiara working at the kitchen table. Raviathan left the groceries he brought for dinner at the cabinet then went to look over Nesiara’s work. Locking the door was becoming a habit. “You’re home early.”

“Alarith didn’t have much for me to do. By the way, you have an assistant.” Raviathan explained about Nessa to his wife’s slightly annoyed amusement. Hiding a grin at her look, Raviathan took a keen interest in her drawings. “What’s this?”

Soft lips pressed against her hair, and without preamble, his hands slipped under her shift to fondle her breasts. She leaned back for a kiss, the two of them enjoying the sensuous fullness of kissing each other’s bottom lip. “I’m working on a few sketches,” Nesiara said, her voice deepened by the angle of her neck. His hands left their tender invasion to undo her dress. “My love, don’t you ever get enough?”

“Not from you. Do you want to stop?”

The best part of having the apartment to themselves in the afternoon was that she didn’t have to worry about being loud. In the evening she either had to muffle her voice in the pillow, or he would cover her mouth with his own or his hand. While she had a perverse love of needing to be silenced, she reveled in being wild with him. There was nothing between them but pleasure. No judgment, no shame, just feeding their desires.

Firmly taking his hands away from her dress, she stood. She could feel his quiet sigh behind her, a sign that he was going to regretfully leave her alone if that was her wish. As if that had ever been her wish. He couldn’t see her sly smile as she left for the ladder. Only when she turned, the top of her dress undone, enough to show the top mounds of her breasts barely covered by her shift, did his eyes start to glow with the heat they had only for her. He rushed her, and she had to scramble to get up the ladder when his hands were there on her thighs. With a groan he shifted her dress so his lips could climb up the inside of her thigh. All at once the pleasant buzz in her groin was becoming an ache from the touch of his mouth.

She giggled and hopped the rest of the way up intent on teasing him by giving chase. She forgot how quick he was. With his own practiced hop he was up and grabbing for her. She spun away and raced for the bed with him close behind. As they reached their bed he clutched her skirt and pulled her clothes off with an easy motion, leaving her clad only in her small clothes. The simple woolen dress fell to the floor, and his lips were pressed hungrily against her neck. “Oh no,” she said though she was melting. “You have to undress too.” She pulled away from him and slipped under the blankets.

With a groan Raviathan pulled off his shirt then started to fiddle with his pants lacing. “You tease,” he accused as his eyes went dark and shining. She giggled and let a long leg show but kept the blanket pulled up to cover part her breasts. His clothes were left crumpled on the floor, but he stopped to look at her partially covered by the blanket. His eyes fell to her breast, the small pink nipple erect.

His patience gone, he pulled the blanket off with a quick jerk leaving her exposed. With the taunt grace of a predator, he slowly leaned to tease her, his mouth doing wonderful things to her body. She nearly came from his teasing mouth. Nearly. She moaned, writhing on the bed as her ache became a torment. Just ... just a little. A few strokes and she’d be done.

His beautiful mouth left her. Her wet skin cooled as the light draft caressed where his mouth had tormented her. The cool air of the room was like a teasing hand between her open legs. She opened her eyes to see him balanced over her. He was watching her with eyes as dark and deep as the ocean. What was he waiting for? He caressed her face then leaned down to plant a butterfly light kiss on her neck. His lips grazed up her neck to her earlobe, the slide of their skin like the caress of silk. Her legs wrapped over his hips to pull him closer, feel his hardness press into her heat. He whispered in her ear, “I love you, Ness,” and entered.

She cried out unable to help herself. He felt so wonderful. Pleasure tightened her body making her twist as she cried out each time he moved. She wasn’t orgasming though. The need kept growing without release. She writhed, wondering if she could take any more. The pleasure kept building until her pelvis seemed to contain a pure white fire. It spread down her thighs and up into her belly. She wailed and clutched at him. It kept building and building until she was lost. She felt it as the fire moved up to her nipples, so sensitive now and turning her longing into greater agony, then continue up. She was going to burn with all this energy inside her. She would glory in it. The fire, white as burning stars, filled her completely, every pore, every tip from her toes and fingers to her ears. She could feel it ripple along her scalp. All at once her body crashed and was turned into nothing. She hovered in ecstasy. All she knew was a warm infinity of pure white bliss.

~o~O~o~

Nesiara blinked weakly as she slowly woke. It took her a minute to figure out the heaviness of her body was actually her husband. He was still asleep, collapsed half on her and half by her side. Her arm was numb from being trapped under his body. What in the Maker’s name had happened? Even the older women, when they swapped stories not realizing they were being eavesdropped upon, never described anything close to that.

First step was to free her arm. She gently pushed Raviathan off so he was on his back and her arm was freed. He murmured sleepily, turning reflexively to hold her. She smiled. They were both still enamored with sleeping together. Just the act of sleeping together entailed an intimacy far beyond sex. Her sister had told her how strange and wonderful that was after she was married. Sex could be intimate or not, but sleeping with someone always was, as if their souls were bound in sleep. Her mother had sat her down the night before she traveled to Denerim and given her some last words of advice that were always passed down between women, mother to daughter, for generations. The intimacies beyond sex had been one of them.

He was so cute when he was asleep. He was sexy and gorgeous when he was awake. She pulled up the blankets only then realizing how cold they both were and lay half on him in a reversal of their first position then snuggled in to the sure strength of his body.

He was sexy and gorgeous asleep too. She settled her head on his chest to hear his heartbeat and gaze at his hand in hers. He had such beautiful hands. She kissed his fingertips while admiring their length and the elegance of his prominent wrist bone. He took good care of his hands. Neat, trim nails and supple aloe scented skin. His voice was still heavy with sleep when he murmured, “Ness? You okay?”

“Yeah.” She was after all. She felt boneless.

His arm rubbed her back, and he checked to make sure the blankets were covering them before his head fell back. Raviathan said groggily, “That ... I don’t even have words for.”

She clung tighter to him. “I didn’t know it could be like that.”

“You felt the same?”

“Like fire grew inside until it was everywhere. Then white. Maker’s breath.”